English attitude towards Europa League baffles Liverpool boss; confident his side can bring home a trophy

Jürgen Klopp has won fans over with his exuberant touchline style, and it is beginning to rub off on his players.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp has spoken of his bemusement at the English attitude towards the Europa League.

The German spoke to the Guardian about the confidence he has in his side as they enter the semi-final stage of European competition, and compared the Reds to his former club Borussia Dortmund.

“I feel there is a power at this club," he said. "I believe that there are some clubs who are always more likely to win trophies than other clubs.

"I don’t know where that comes from, but I felt it for the first time when I was at Dortmund. Michael Zorc [sporting manager at Dortmund] told me when Bayer Leverkusen were breathing down our necks at the end of one season that I shouldn’t worry. He said they wouldn’t win because Leverkusen never win and that Dortmund were a club that wins titles. I feel that at Liverpool, and I think the supporters do too.”

Klopp's influence on his team has began to show in recent weeks, with his philosophy of high intensity pressing starting to shine through. Their improvements in performance have translated directly to results, losing just one of their last 12 matches.

The Merseyside club will be disappointed with losing a two-goal lead on Saturday against Newcastle United, but they have their semi-final against Villarreal to look forward to on Thursday night, and Klopp explained how he finds the English attitude towards Europe's second tier competition baffling.

“I heard that the image of the Europa League was not good in England and I don’t really understand why," Klopp added. "The players have liked it, and I would have been happy with the Europa League even if we’d gone out in the quarter-finals. It was a nice journey, a good experience."

If Liverpool could bring a European trophy back to Anfield, it would represent a fantastic first season in charge for the German, although next year the fans will expect to see a stronger finishing position in the league.

Antony Martin

A passionate football writer with an obsession for the beautiful game. Still has not seen either his club or country win a trophy during his time on earth. Aside from football, he is also a keen follower of golf, tennis and darts.